Russia's Gazprom says to restart gas pumps to Europe on Tuesday

Gas supplies will be restarted at 0700 GMT (2 a.m. EST) "if there are no obstacles," Gazprom deputy chairman Alexander Medvedev was quoted by AP as saying in Brussels.

The shift came after Ukraine signed off on an EU-brokered deal that sent teams of EU, Russian and Ukrainian monitors in to track the movement of Russian gas through Ukraine’s vast pipeline system. Gazprom had shut off deliveries last Wednesday, accusing Ukraine of siphoning off gas intended for Europe, a charge that Ukraine denies.

"As soon as they (the monitors) are at the control points, and we are sure that they can control the transit of our gas, Gazprom will pump gas to Ukraine’s gas transit system to be shipped to European customers," AP quoted Prime Minister Vladimir Putin as saying at a Cabinet meeting Monday.

It was the first time since the gas flow was cut last Wednesday that EU and Russian officials have spoken of a time and date for their resumption, despite some frenetic shuttle diplomacy on all sides.

 

Russia supplies about one-quarter of the European Union’s natural gas, 80 percent of it shipped through Ukraine, and the disruption has come as the continent is gripped by freezing temperatures.

 

The gas cutoff has affected more than 15 countries, with Bosnia, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Serbia and Slovakia among the worst hit. Sales of electric heaters have soared and thousands of businesses in eastern Europe have been forced to cut production or even shut down.

 

Flows to Europe have been cut off for nearly a week in freezing temperatures after Russia accused Ukraine of siphoning off gas to make up for losses it has suffered since Moscow turned off the tap on Jan. 1 in a dispute over gas prices.